The list of disorders associated with abnormalities in muscle tone, posture, and motor function is long and includes, amongst others, such problems as cerebral palsy, scoliosis, motor pareses and paralyses (of various causes), dystonia, and injuries of the spine and joints. Such problems, even when the immediate site of pathology is localized, have far-flung consequences for the entire musculoskeletal and locomotor systems. Effective treatment and rehabilitation of such problems require complex, global therapies that take into account and have an effect on the entire musculoskeletal and locomotor systems.
Cerebral palsy is a chronic and persistent disorder of movement and posture caused by non-progressive pathological processes of the immature central nervous system. Injury to the brain may occur before, during or shortly after birth. The overall incidence in Western countries of cerebral palsy is between 1.5 and 2.5 per 1000 live births. An estimated 500,000 to 700,000 children and adults in the United States manifest symptoms of cerebral palsy and about 9,000 new infants develop the disorder annually. Management of the child with cerebral palsy is a complex challenge.
Physiotherapy is the principal non-surgical form of treatment. Its aims are to prevent contractures and deformities and to promote functionally useful posture and movements. Cerebral palsy is typically associated with spasticity of muscle that results in the limb being held in abnormal postures. Because muscle growth depends to a certain extent on muscle stretch, if abnormal postures are maintained for extended periods, muscle growth will be impaired. Eventually, the muscle will become short and contractures will develop. Further, abnormal muscle movements tend to interfere with joint function. As a result, affected children may develop deformities, for example, of the foot or of the hip joint (which may become dysplastic or eventually completely dislocated). In general, such deformities can be minimized or prevented by splinting to maintain the joints and muscles in certain more natural positions, often designed to restrict rotational movement about a joint and providing active resistance to rotation.
Several prior-art devices attempting to deal with the above-mentioned problems are extensively discussed in PCT-document WO 03/037238 A2, which is incorporated herein by reference.
As distinguished from the above PCT document, the device according to the present invention is free of the encumberment of a wheel-mounted frame, while providing supportive elements that are adjustable with four degrees of freedom and adaptable to follow the spinal column of the individual patient.